The Electric Ferrets - No Regrets

The Electric Ferrets were an LA-based punk rock/garage band from the late 80's/early 90's that I saw and played with numerous times back in the day. Fun band and damn nice guys. They just reformed - and played their debut show in Las Vegas - and have released this new CD that includes 8 new songs with the current line-up - singer Greg, guitarist Flying Ike, bassist Todd and drummer Gizz - as well as 3 from the original line up with Greg, Ike, 2nd guitarist Kevin (now in Vegas' the Super Zeroes) and rhythm section Rudy & Brian.

The sound here is tight'n'fast 70's-styled punk with great production, cool lead guitars (Ike can really play!), and sorta Jello Biafra-like vocals. "Ruin" could almost be an outtake from the Boys, "I Don't Know" is frenzied, with fast-talkin' vocals and Bad Religion-like big choruses and riffs, "Number 35" is another beserker, kinda reminding me of the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs at their most manic, while "New World Order" is evocative of the Dead Kennedys, down to the "ah-ah-ah's" at the end!

If anything, they get even faster in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it "I Hate, Hate" and "No Future" (no relation to the Sex Pistols' song), while "When I Get Bored (I Play One Chord)" is self-explanatory! Their take on the Adverts' "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" is pretty spot-on and is followed by the "oldies" - the bonus tracks from their 2nd Dionysus EP. The sound isn't quite as clean'n'tight on these older tunes, but still powerful'n'drivin' - "2,3,4" is a buzzsaw love song, "Lumberjack Baby" probably should have been described as "buzzsaw", cuz it is, as well, and has some funny lyrics, and then they channel the Lazy Cowgirls with a punk rock take on Hank Williams' "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy".

All too short, but a rockin' digitalized disc! Definitely check 'em out if ya can for a guaranteed good punk-rock time!